Lawyers for Rental Car Accident Injuries
Lawyers for Rental Car Accident Injuries
When an individual rents a motor vehicle and gets into any kind of collision, sorting out the legal and insurance claims processes can be difficult. Whether you were injured by a motorist operating a rental car or you sustained injuries as the occupant of a rented vehicle, it will be extremely important for you to retain legal counsel as soon as possible.
If you were injured in a rental car accident case, don’t just choose any lawyer; choose the rental car accident lawyers who have decades of experience winning personal injury cases for decades: Susan E. Loggans & Associates.
Retain a Rental Car Accident Attorney
If you suffered serious injuries or your loved one was killed in any kind of crash involving a rental vehicle, it will be in your best interest to not make any kind of statement to an insurance company representative until you have legal representation. Susan E. Loggans & Associates represents clients involved in all kinds of motor vehicle accidents, including those involving rental vehicles.
Susan E. Loggans is an experienced personal injury lawyer who can provide you with a thorough case review and help you understand your options. Call (312) 741-4019 to schedule a free consultation.
Susan E. Loggans & Associates provides legal services on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that our firm will not charge you anything unless you obtain a monetary award.
Overview of Rental Car Accidents
The Role of Insurance in Rental Car Accidents
Establishing Rental Car Company Liability
The Role of Insurance in Rental Car Accidents
Many car rental agencies offer consumers the option of purchasing additional insurance when renting a motor vehicle. The Insurance Information Institute (III) suggests making two phone calls, regardless of the rental car option:
- Your Personal Auto Insurance Company. Understand your own car insurance policy and whether liability, collision, or comprehensive coverage applies to a rental car.
- Your Credit Card Company. Many credit card companies provide insurance benefits for motor vehicles when the cards are used to pay for the rentals.
The type of insurance you have, the insurance the at-fault driver has, and the exact causes of the accident can all factor into liability and insurance payouts.
Offers and Policies for Car Accidents
Rental car companies will typically provide the following types of offers to people who rent cars as well as car accident victims:
- Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). Intended to relieve you of financial responsibility if a rental car is damaged, a person’s comprehensive or collision auto insurance coverage usually covers damage to a rental car.
- Liability Insurance. Rental companies are required to provide a minimum amount of liability coverage, but standard auto insurance policies typically include liability coverage.
- Personal Accident Insurance. Intended to cover the costs of medical bills arising from crashes caused by renters, health insurance, or personal injury protection (PIP) provided by many auto insurance policies.
- Personal Effects Coverage. Intended to cover the value of items stolen from a rental car, many homeowners or renters insurance policies include off-premises theft coverage.
What You Should Do After a Car Accident
The immediate aftermath of a crash involving a rental car can be especially confusing for many people because the car rental company is an additional party that cannot be ignored. Consumers are often surprised to learn that their own insurance policies or the additional rental car insurance will not cover certain car accident claims or personal injury claims.
That’s why, after seeking medical attention, one of the first calls after a rental vehicle accident should be to the right legal team.
A skilled rental car accident lawyer can handle all phone conversations on your behalf and hold at-fault drivers accountable so you can obtain maximum compensation for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and more.
Establishing Rental Car Company Liability
What happens if you sustain injuries in a rental car crash when the negligent driver is using a rented vehicle? Just as your own auto insurance policy would cover your own costs, that driver’s insurer could pay your damages arising from an accident caused by one of its customers. If the driver of the rental car did not have an automobile insurance policy, the rental car company could become liable.
While car rental companies are generally not responsible for the actions of their customers, such businesses could be liable for negligent entrustment of a vehicle in certain cases. Illinois courts, for example, have held that “A person may be liable for negligent entrustment of an automobile where that person entrusts an automobile to one whose incompetency, inexperience or recklessness is known or should have been known by the owner or entrustor of the automobile.” [Kosrow v. Acker, 188 Ill. App. 3d 778 (1989)]
625 Illinois Compiled Statute 5/9-101 further establishes that it is unlawful for owners of any motor vehicles to engage in the business of renting out such motor vehicles to be operated by customers, unless owners given by the owners, and there is in full force and effect and on file with the Secretary of State proof of financial responsibility. The purpose of this statute is to protect injured third parties. Rental car companies may be liable if they negligently entrust the vehicles to unlicensed drivers or motorists without insurance.
Proving liability can be difficult in even the most straightforward of cases. It can take the effort of an entire experienced legal team to help victims get fair compensation for their pain and suffering following an accident involving rental cars.
Get the Legal Help You Need at Susan E. Loggans Law
Did you sustain catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in a rental car crash? You will want to contact Susan E. Loggans & Associates as soon as possible.
Call (312) 741-4019 or submit the online contact form below to have our rental car accident lawyer review your case and answer all of your legal questions during a free case evaluation.